Power-transmission mechanism for vehicles.



W. H. DOUGLAS.

'POWER TRANSMISSION MECHANISM FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. IIS, 19H.

Patented Jan, 451916.

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W. H. DOUGLAS. Powfn TRANsmssloN MEcHAnsM Foa vFHlcLEs.l

Patented 'Jan'. 4, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

APPLICATIGN FILED OCT. I6, 1911.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

WILLIAM H. DOUGLAS, or BELLEVILLE, NEW JERSEY, AssrGNoR To HEALEY & COMPANY, AE NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION or NEwYYoRK.

PowEm'TRANsMissroN MECHANISM FOR VEHICLES.

' To all 'whom it may concern:

'Be it'known that l, WILLIAM DOUGLAS,-

a .citizeiii'of the United States, and resident of Belleville, inthe county of Essex and State of NewJersey, Ahave invented a new and useful Power-Transmission Mechanism for Vehicles, of -which the following is a specification.

. Thisinvention relates to power transmission mechanism -for vehicles and is particularly directed to novel mechanism for driving the front steering traction wheels of the vehicle.v

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in Which-4 y Figure 1 is a'detail view, partly in front elevation and partly in section, showing the front driving axle of full fioating typein connection'with one of the front steering traction wheels and theworm drivenV differential` gearing, Fig. 2 is 1a partial `longitudinal vertical Asection taken in the plane of the line A-Ag of Fig. 1, the motor fand its supporting bar being shown in side ele- "ation, 3 is a cross section taken in the 'plane of t eline B-'B of Fig. 2, showing 'the yielding driving connection between4 the alined motor and vworin shafts, .and Fig. 4 is an enlargeddetail s'ection showing-the provision `for permitting the longitudinal extension and contraction of the worm shaft.

`JrThe divided front axle is of the full floating ftype,the inner shaft members lpb'eing connected to the outer shaft members 2'by uniyersaLjointsB. The-front axle housing is denoted by 4. The adjacent ends of the divided axle areconnected through a difierential gearing of well known or "approved construction, said gearing beinglprovided with a worm gear 5 which meshes with a worm 6, the shaft 7 of which is journaled in front and rear anti-friction bearings 8 and 9 and is provided with a thrust bearing 10. This worm shaft 7 is in alinement with the shaft 11 of a motor 12 which'is herein shown as an electric motor. These two shafts are always kept in alinement by mounting the motor 12 upon a motor supporting bar 13, the frontend of which is rigidly connected to the front axle housing 4 in the present instance by inserting the tfront end of the bar into a hollow lug 14 projecting rearwardly from the bottom of said housing midway its length. A yield- Specieation o( Letters Patent.

Abe resorted to in the form, construction and 1atentedJan.4,1916.

Application filed 0ct0ber'16, 19.1.1. Serial No. 654,998.

ing driving connection between the motor shaft 11 and the worm shaft 7 is provided, which connection is herein shown as con structed and arranged asA followszf-The worm shaft 7 has, keyed thereto a hollow '60 casing v15 overlapping the motor shaft 11', which casing is provided with inwardly" projecting oppositely arranged wings 16, 17. The motor shaft 11 is provided with-outwardly projecting oppositely arranged wings 18, 1f), disposed at rightA angles to. the wings 16, 17. The wings 18, 19, of the motor shaft are formed by a plate extending diametrically through the end ofthe shaftf/A and secured in position by rivets 20. Y' Blocksl 70 of rubber or other resilient material 21 are inserted within the casing l'between .the alternating inwardly and outwardly projeeting wings of the worm and motor shafts for transmitting the motion from the motor shaft to the worm shaft. This yielding driving connection not only eliminates' noise at this point but also reduces the strain on vthe worm shaft incident to the starting and lstopping of the motor and also permitsa slight play of the two shafts without aiecting the driving connection. Theanti-friction bearing for the outer end-of the worm shaft 7 is permitted a sliding movement in a cap 22 removably secured tothe housingt, l for permitting a slight longitudinal extension and contraction of the shat 7 without Y Y liability of binding of the same. The inner end of eachV of the inner members of the front divided axle is supported by an anti- Afriction bearing' 52 secured within the front axle housing 4.

It is evident that various changes might arrangement 'of the several parts without departing from the 'spirit and scope of my invention; hence 1 do not wish to limit myself strictly to the structure herein set forth,

but

Vhat I claim is Y 1. An axle housing, a d iiferential gearin therein including apower transmission sha. t journaled in theyhousing, a centrally located hollow lug Vprojecting rearwardly from the bottom of said housing, a motor supporting bar inserted in said lug, a motor strapped =to and `above said bar, a motor shaft in alinement with the power transmission shaft, and a rotatably yielding driving connection between the two shafts.

2. An axle housing, a di'erential gearing therein including a worm shaft having fixed and thrust antifriction bearings at its rear end and an ntifriction bearing at its.front end, said 'front bering being adapted to slide longitudinally in the housing, a centrally located hollow lug projecting rearvvardly from the bottom of said housing, a motor supporting bar inserted in said lug, a motor` stripped to and above said bar, a

l motor shaft in alinement Iwith the worm sha ft, and ai rotatably yielding driving connection between the two shafts.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my'invention, I have signed my name in 15 presence of two Witnesses, this eleventh day of October, 1911. i

WILLIAM H. DOUGLAS.

Witnesses F. GEORGE BARRY, Orro W. VHoLMomN. 

